Teacher Week Day #2: Classroom Digs

I'm linking up with Blog Hoppin' for Teacher Week 2013!

I love decorating so I'm excited about this day :) These are my classroom digs!

 

 These are a few overall views of my classroom :) I tried to take them from all angles!

 

 

 

Now that you've seen the overall....here are some close-ups! Right inside the door are my hooks. No cubbies, no lockers, just hooks :) I have them named and numbered and use the space below them to store extra books and materials. (Obviously the boxes aren't usually there!)

 

 

This is on the other side of the door. I LOVE this for changes (like going to a friend's house) or for subs!

 

 

I don't know if you can use any of these, but if you would like a copy, you can get yours here! The pretty frames are from The Creative Chalkboard and the other pictures are from Google Images.

 

From the door, you can see a little peek of my frames. Here they are! My Hall of Fame is where I post art projects, writing samples and more! The kids love seeing their work on the walls. Below them, you can see my classroom computers.

 

 

 

Right next to the computers are my student drawers. These are where they keep their personal school items since we have tables. This holds their writing folder, math journal, poetry journal, etc.

 

 

 

Moving around the room, this is my listening center. Obviously, the box of CDs and CD players needs to be organized!

 

 

 From this view, you can get a little peek of my library. You can see the guided reading portion of my library, but I did not get a picture of my "dessert" books. These are favorite characters and authors, and other themed books. I made the puff balls out of tissue paper and pipe cleaners and I made the tree. I hate it right now. I need to add student work to it to make me like it better :(

 

 

As a full day kindergarten teacher, I am lucky enough to still have time scheduled in my day for learning centers! This is my dramatic play area and building area. I also have a blocks center that I did not get pictures of! GRR!

 

 

 

 

Next to dramatic play is my math center. This is where I have our math manipulatives and our math tubs for math stations.

 

 

 

 

This is my teacher catch-all. I guess it's technically an easel, but for me it's: big book holder, whole class materials holder, morning meeting materials holder, brain break materials holder, shared writing board, interactive writing board, etc. The list goes on and on. The next picture shows where I sit between the board and my computer that connects to the Smartboard.

 

 



Behind my computer and document camera is my non-computer calendar. The kids don't really participate in this one, it's mostly just for reference during writing. I do all my calendar work on the Smartboard.

 

This is my teacher area. I took the plunge and got rid of my desk! I hope it works out :)

 

 

These are my file cabinets turned to make a magnetic surface for word work, and my mailboxes to keep my papers for the students for the week. You can also see my birthday balloons, stuffed animal bin, and my TBM (to be made) brag tags.

 

 

These are pictures of the art center. I have an easel, drying rack and two shelves of art supplies. I got the wonderful idea for the color drawers on Pinterest! Any of the other labels I used for reading (GRL A-Z and various themes), math (all manipulatives) or art (supply and crafty) I made for my classroom. Once again, I don't know if they will be useful for you, but please feel free to pick up your copy here! I have a high ESOL population, so I tried to use as many real pictures as possible.

 

 

This is my sensory table. I fill it with science materials throughout the year!

 

 

This is my behavior board. I am going to use a mix of the 7 Habits/whole brain teaching this year. I am not trained in either, but am using the research I have done to mold my practice :) Missing is our class promise and class rules! TBM this week!

 

 

I'll leave you walking out the door on my paw prints!

 

 

I hope you enjoyed my classroom tour. You may notice I don't have many resources up on the wall! I like to make these with the kiddos and hang them up throughout the year :) I find they use them much more when they are a part of making them!

 

Stop by tomorrow to check out my classroom management skills!

 

Sarah

Blog Hoppin' Linky Party: Technology Tip!

Today is Day 2 of Teacher Week!!

I'm linking up this week with Blog Hoppin' for Teacher Week!

Today is Technology Tip Tuesday!

My technology tip for you is a phenomenal website called Classroom Organizer by Booksource! It is a website that allows you to catalog all your books by their bar codes on the back, and then enable students to check out and return books!

How cool right? You would have to have some sort of iPod or iPad to take pictures of the barcodes, and I sadly do not, so I cannot use this yet! But I am still catalogging all my books on my iPhone so I'm ready when I do. This website is so awesome because you always know where all your books are at all times, especially when they leave your classroom!

Happy Tuesday and join me for 3 more Teacher Week posts!

Sarah

On to Second Grade!! And labels FREEBIE!

Hello my blogging friends!

Unfortunately, I am no longer going to be the fabulous first grade, although the name will stay the same :) I got a job in a wonderful school in my dream district teaching second grade and I could not be more excited!

Today was the second day of school and my little guys have been angels so far! (I know, I know...how long will this last?) I have a few freebies to share with you!

Since I am in a new school and a new classroom, I needed to make all new labels (obviously). So I have some to share with you!

I made some new book labels! There are not that many, but when I make more, I will update it. You can get them on googledocs here!

I also have a wonderful guided reading library, so I made A-Z labels for those book bins too! You can get them here!

 

I also use a team point system. So here are labels for up to 5 teams and captains :)

I also use class journals! My kiddos LOVED these last year. I have 10 journals that I put in my writing center that any child can write in at any writer's workshop/work on writing time (when they have free choice writing!!). These are topic journals. For example, there is a princess journal and a superhero journal. So if a student decided to write in the princess journal, it would be a story about a princess! At the end of the year, you have a really cool journal with princess stories from all your students!! Here are the labels I tape to the front of the journals :)

Lastly, I have labels for three jars in my room. One is for my estimation jar. This is SO much fun for the kiddos. Eventually, all the kids get to take the jar home and fill it with something from their houses! I also have labels for compliments and concerns jars. I REALLY build thes up at the beginning of the year. I read all the compliments in the jar out loud at the end of the week to make my kiddos feel good! I also put compliments in there if I see them doing something special! The concerns jar is private, and only I read the comments in there. Sometimes the kids don't feel comfortable with me "knowing" who left the concern, and then we can discuss it as a class. The kids really like the system! Here are the labels!

 So that's all for now! Since I am now a second grade teacher :), I will be posting about all the awesome things I am doing in second grade! I will post about all of the wonderful character/team building activities we did this week soon!

Happy Hump Day!
Sarah